With the summer season upon us, everyone wants their lawn looking presentable enough to host the many outdoor activities planned. This, however, takes a lot of effort, extreme care, and time- well, everything good does.
A Good Mower Goes A Long Way
Buying a good lawn mower would be the first step to getting this done. You can check the best Bosch mowers on TheBestMowers, being a good place to start.
So if your gardening skills are in the gutter and you are looking for a starter guide, this article is what you need. Here are tips that will leave you with the best lush, healthy, and evenly cut lawn in the whole neighborhood.
1. The trick lies in watering
To avoid an ugly wilted patch, you need to water your lawn consistently. This is mainly in the summer as the water tends to evaporate faster. Typically, your garden requires about one or two inches of water a day to support adequate growth. This rate is only an average, and it may vary depending on the climate, type of soil, and grass. So to be safe, deep soak your lawn at least two times a week as a supplement if you have loam or clay as the evaporation rate is higher
On the other hand, do not overwater your lawn as this will do more harm than good. If the roots get used to receiving water constantly, they will learn to depend on it; hence the roots won’t grow deep to look for their own. Tfhis, in turn, leaves you with a hefty water bill and a shabby looking lawn. Grass with deep roots generally appear healthier, are robust and are resilient to extreme heat.
Also, try and water early in the morning or late in the evening and never in the hot afternoon. This is because the sun will end up evaporating most of the water before the soil gets a chance to absorb anything.
Pro-tip, there are lots of gadgets available to tell you the soil condition and water level, invest in them so you can know how much more water to infuse into your regime.
2. Fertilize and weed your lawn
Before you schedule a day to apply fertilizers, take into account the type of weeds, the type of grass, location, timing, etc. Using the fertilizer/weed killer at the wrong time will only result in waste and might even cause harm to the plants in the long run.
By timing, I mean applying weed killers at the beginning of summer as they will not have had a chance to reproduce or fully germinate. Weeds compete with your grass for nutrients and often win. Also, they act as hideouts for harmful insects. Therefore, it is in your best interest to deal with the problem early to prevent your grass from being infested.
Since summer causes a lot of heat damage to the grass, you need to nurse it back to health in the spring. Fertilize your lawn in the beginning of spring to help with healthy root growth, which will, in turn, lead to robust grass blades. Also, this practice will make sure your grass develops roots that are healthy enough to withstand the harsh winter weather.
Pro-tip; research and understand the specific requirements for the fertilizer or weed killer you are using. They are all very different, require specific conditions and are to be applied in particular times for them to work.
3. Trim any unwanted growths
In as much as trees and vines can act as a pleasant shade from the scorching sun, they might not be the best companion for your lawn grass. So armed with a decent pair of clippers, hedge trimmer or band saw, trim away any overgrown vines on the fences, tree branches, or flowerbeds.
Overgrown and unwanted paraphernalia on your lawn will not block your grass from receiving ample sunlight, but they also make your yard appear unattractive. Trimming may also be of help to the plants as they will grow back healthier than before. This is because their roots now have fewer branches to supply to.
4. Mow at the right height and at the right time
In as much as it is tempting to scalp your lawn and forget about mowing responsibilities for a long time coming, it is not the best decision for the health of the grass. Typically, you should set your lawnmower blade height to clip at most 1/3 of the average height of the grass. If the grass was very long, you would need to trim often but only at the required height.
Also, when it gets to 4 inches, you need to always maintain it at that. Long grass blades translate to deep roots. The height of the grass at the top and bottom correlates.
Pro-tip; mow when the grass is dry to achieve an even cut and prevent clogging of the disposal chute in your mower.
5. Get a mower with a mulch clipper
Gardening experts recently proved that mulch clippings contribute up to 30% of nitrogen needed by the grass. So the next time you are mowing your lawn, do not collect the clippings and throw them away. They will save you the money you spend on fertilizer and also help suffocate any weeds that might have started growing.
If you have concerns with how the lawn will look with all the thatch, you can get a mulch attachment for your mower. It is designed to reduce the clippings to a tiny unnoticeable size. If you don’t have the money, you could physically rake the area and pour the excerpts on the side you haven’t worked on yet. When you get there, the mower will reduce the debris to small pieces that you can then spread around.
Conclusion
From the above tips, you will realize that to keep your lawn looking presentable, it is more of the technique used than how long you spend and the lawnmower used. However, the technique is not easy to master and needs to be learned slowly as you also get to know what your patch responds to best. For a start, follow the tips I’ve given you and see the difference.